The Niger Police command has confirmed the abduction of 15 persons by some gunmen in Kulho village of Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
Police spokesperson in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed this in a statement in Minna on Sunday.
Mr Abioudun, a deputy superintendent of police, said that on January 14, at about 2 a.m., suspected bandits attacked Kulho village, a remote community via Ibbi in Mashegu and abducted 15 persons.
Mr Abiodun also explained that on the same day at about 1 a.m, suspected bandits/terrorists entered Mashegu village through Jigawa and stole a yet to be ascertained number of cattle.
He said a team of police had been drafted to the area for search and rescue of the abducted victims.
“We solicited the support of local residents to volunteer reliable information that could aid in apprehending the miscreants,” he said.
Niger State in the North-central part of the country has come under frequent attacks by bandits who abduct people for ransom and kill with reckless abandon.
Against the background of the incessant acts of banditry in the state, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, approved the deployment of more military operations in the state to contain the bandits.
Apart from Niger State, states like Kaduna and Zamfara also remain a hotbed for bandits who have become almost uncontrollable despite the efforts of the country’s military to tackle them.
(NAN)
